In the fabrication of an optical lens, particularly a spectacle lens, in order to improve the light-shielding properties, anti-glaring properties, photochromic properties, anti-scratch properties, and the like, a coating film is formed on the surface of the spectacle lens using a material that matches the purpose of the spectacle lens. Formation of the coating film is described in “Spectacles”, May 22, 1986, pp. 81-83, published by Kabushiki Kaisha Medical Aoi Shuppan. An apparatus that forms a coating film automatically is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-177852, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-508981, and the like.
A lens coating apparatus for a spectacle lens described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-177852 comprises a turntable-type holding body disposed in a clean room, two relatable lens holding tools which are arranged on the holding body and respectively provided with spectacle lenses, a plurality of dispensers arranged above the holding body, and a light beam radiating means which emits a light beam to cure a coating solution. The holding body intermittently rotates by a half revolution to alternatively move the two lens holding tools between a coating position which is under the dispensers and a curing position which is under the light beam radiating means. Upon a half-revolution rotation of the holding body, when one lens holding tool moves to the coating position and stops there while the other lens holding tool moves to the curing position and stops there, the dispensers drip the coating solution onto the surface of a spectacle lens which is placed on one lens holding tool. The light beam radiating means emits ultraviolet rays to the coating solution applied to the spectacle lens placed on the other lens holding tool to cure the coating solution. When application of the coating solution by the dispensers and curing operation of the coating solution by the light beam radiating means through the half-revolution rotation of the holding body are complete in this manner, the spectacle lens placed on the other lens holding tool is removed. After that, the holding body further rotates by a half revolution to move the spectacle lens on one lens holding tool to the curing position and move the other empty lens holding tool to the coating position. When a new spectacle lens is placed on the other lens holding tool, application of the coating solution by the dispensers and curing operation by the light beam radiating means are performed successively. That is, the coating apparatus performs application of the coating solution and the curing operation continuously and automatically by intermittent rotation of the holding body.
A method and apparatus for curing a spectacle lens described in PCT(WO) 2000-508981 includes a series of steps from the step since molding a plastic lens by casting polymerization until the step of forming a coating film on the molded plastic lens. In the lens molding step, the lens monomer in a cast is irradiated with the first ultraviolet rays to cure, thus molding a plastic lens. In the coating film forming step, a coating solution containing a photopolymerization initiator is applied to the lens. The obtained oxygen barrier is irradiated with the second ultraviolet rays to cure, thus forming a coating film.